25th  Congress, 
3d  Sessio7i. 


Doc.   No.  224. 


Ho,  or  Reps. 
War  Dept. 


CHEROKEE  INDIANS  IN  NORTH  CAROLINA. 


LETTER 


THE  SECRETARY  OF  WAR, 

Jn  reply  to  a  resolution  of  the  House  of  Representatives  of2l3t  ultimo^ 
calling  for  information  respecting  the  number  of  Cherokee  Indians 
now  residing  in  North  Carolina,  ^-c. 


February  27,  1839. 

Read,  and  laid  upon  the  table. 


War  Department,  February  26,  1839. 

Sir  :  In  an^w^^r  t^  the  resolution  of  the  House  of  Representatives  of 
the  21st  January  last,  calling' upon  the  Secretary  of  War  for  information 
as  to  the  number  of  Cherokee  Indians  now  residing  in  North  Carolina, 
their  means  of  subsistence,  &c. ;  I  have  the  honor  to  submit  the  report  of 
the  Commissioner  of  Indian  AflFairs,  dated  the  23d  instant. 
Very  respectfully,  your  most  obedient  servant, 

,1.  R.  POINSETT, 
Hon.  J.  K.  Polk, 

Speaker  Ho.  of  Reps 


War  Department, 
Office  Indian  Affairs,  February  23,  1839. 

Sir  :  In  relation  to  the  resolution  of  the  House  of  Representatives  of 
the  21st  January  instant,  referred  by  you  to  this  office,  and  requiring  in- 
formation as  to  the  number  of  Cherokee  Indians  now  remaining  in  North 
Carolina,  &c.,  I  have  the  honor  to  submit  the  following  report; 

The  operation  of  removing  the  Cherokee  Indians  was  in  the  spring  of 
the  past  year  committed  to  General  Scott  as  a  military  service.  That 
officer,  in  pursuance  of  his  instructions,  collected  these  Indians,  and 
despatched  them,  from  time  to  time,  for  their  destination  west.  This 
office  has  been  informed  that  the  last  party  of  Cherokees,  under  the  direc- 
tion of  John  Ross,  left  the  rendezvous  east,  on  the  4th  of  December  last; 
and,  in  consequence,  it  has  been  considered  that  the  Cherokee  emigra 
tion  was  closed. 

As  it  relates  to  the  Cherokees  now  in  the  State  of  North  Cdroliua, 
this  office  has  no  specific  information.  A  part  of  those  Indians  are  pre- 
Thomas  Allen,  print. 


2  Doe.  No.  224. 

sumed  to  claim  the  right  to  remain  in  their  present  position,  as  reservees, 
by  treaties  previous  to  1835,  and  are  supposed  to  be  embraced  in  the 
last  clause  of  the  8th  article  of  the  treaty  of  1835.  No  measures  have 
been  adopted  for  the  removal  of  Cherokees  in  North  Carolina,  other 
than  those  prosecuted  for  the  emigration  of  the  whole  nation. 

I  have  to  add,  that  this  oflBce  has  no  data  upon  which  to  state  the  num- 
ber of  Cherokees  in  North  Carolina  subject  to  the  treaty  of  December 
29,  1835. 

In  relation  to  the  expenditure,  and  application  of  the  money  appro- 
priated under  the  act  of  last  year,  I  have  the  honor  to  state,  that  the  sum 
appropriated  for  removal  and  subsistence  remains  on  the  books  of  the 
Treasury  as  undrawn,  but  is  subject  to  drafts  to  reimburse  the  general 
fund  for  carrying  the  treaty  into  effect,  on  the  settlement  of  agents'  ac- 
counts; out  of  which  latter  appropriation,  a  sum  equal  to  that  appropriated 
for  removal  and  subsistence  was  advanced.  The  moneys  drawn  were 
placed  in  the  hands  of  Captains  Page  and  Collins,  military  disbursing 
agents,  by  whom  advances  were  made  to  other  agents,  to  be  applied  in 
payment  for  supplies  and  expenses.  The  larger  portion  has  been  turned 
over  to  the  authorized  individuals  of  the  nation,  in  conformity  with  the 
agreement  entered  into  with  the  Cherokees,  by  General  Scott,  for  their 
removal  by  agents  of  their  own  appointment. 

That  part  of  the  resolution  requiring  "  how,  to  whom,  and  for  what, 
has  the  money  appropriated,  under  that  act,  for  subsistence  and  removal 
of  the  Cherokees,  been  expended  and  applied,"  cannot  therefore  be 
answered  until  the  accounts  are  all  received  and  settled ;  these  will  be 
voluminous,  and,  when  received,  will  require  much  time  and  labor  to 
complete. 

Very  respectfully,  your  most  obedient  servant, 

T.  HARTLEY  CRAWFORD. 

Hon.  J.  R.  Poinsett, 

Secretary  of  War. 


m. 


